What does Quail taste like? Not sure if I want to try them or not....

[Elite Silkies]

Does anyone sell Bobwhite chicks? If I hatch them, then I must buy another incubator

 

[wombat]

I'd go with the Bobwhite, if you can find it.

As for "small town", I suppose it depends on who is farming what near where you are. I'm originally from Wisconsin, and I know a lot of people farm-raise game birds for market there. My parents live out in the countryside, and there's a small-town meat market near them that has quite a variety. I also see quite a variety offered by specialty butchers in Maryland, where I live now.

If you can't find it near where you live, I suppose the next best thing is to just "jump in with both feet", as they say, and raise some birds, and hope that you find them to be tasty!

Check out the forum posts about raising game birds around chickens, though. I don't raise game birds, so this is second-hand info ... but I recall reading on this forum that there are some diseases that chickens can carry that have no effect on the chicken, but that can be devastating to game bird flocks.

 

[saddina]

Recipies that call for chicken thighs you can swap quail meat in. I can't believe I missed this this am. Quail do a wonderful Chicken Kiev, and can hold up to cheese stuffing better than chicken breasts.

I like them stuffed with a mix of danish cheeses (havarti, jarlesburg, smoked gouda), and wrapped in bacon (I skin them and wrap a think piece of panchetta, bacon or even salt pork) and broiled till the bacon is crisp and the cheese is melty. Served as the course after some french onion soup and a plummy red wine.

Since quails are small, you can go very dedicant in the flavors and dishes they become part of.

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
MANY FOLKS SELL EGGS, QUITE A FEW SELL CHICKS THO THEY CAN BE A LIL FRAGILE IN SHIPPING SO NOT ALOT OF FOLKS ON HERE SHIP DAY OLDS--- THERE ARE MANY GAMEBIRD FARMS THAT DO SELL AND SHIP THEM THO--- TRY STEELSHOT ON HERE, TONY RUNS A GAMEBIRD FARM AND MAY HAVE CHICKS BUT I DONT THINK HE SHIPS... ON THE WEB TRY CUMBERLAND GAMEBIRD FARM. AND A WEB SEARCH SHOULD TURN UP A FEW OTHERS TOO---- FOR MEAT THEY ARE WONDERFULLY TASTY, BUT THEY ARE MUCH SLOWER GROWING AND WAY HARDER TO KEEP THAN COTURNIX. ALSO ASK YOUR LOCAL GROCERY STORE. I SEE THEM IN A FEW STORES FROM TIME TO TIME I BET THEY COULD ORDER THEM FOR YOU, AND I BELEIVE CUMBERLAND SELLS BIRDS READY TO EAT AS WELL--- MAYBE WRONG ON THAT 1?

 

[Highland Moongazer]

Lake Cumberland's food birds...

But that crap is expensive.

If I were you, I'd look on Craigslist or your local swap paper and find someone selling birds ($4-$6 per bird), then either process them yourself or see if the owner will process the for you (for a sizable tip, of course), or go to a butcher and have them do it.
~$15 is much better than the $75 to order a box from LCGBs.